The grizzled light brown to black coat is smooth and short in summer, growing
longer and thicker in winter. Males have long hair on the chin, throat,
chest, and shanks, while females have smaller fringes. The lower legs
have a black and white pattern. The tightly curled, corkscrew-like
horns are present in both sexes, starting close together at the head, but
spreading towards the tips. In males, they can grow up to 160 cm /
64 inches long, and up to 25 cm / 10 inches in females.

Mating occurs during winter, with the subsequent births occurring from
late April to early June.

Ecology and Behavior

The markhor is mainly active in the early morning and late afternoon.
During the spring and summer months it is a grazer, while in the winter
it turns to browse for nourishment. Markhor often stand on their hind
legs in order to reach high vegetation. Population densities in Pakistan
range from 1-9 animals per square kilometer. During the rut males fight
for breeding rights. These competitions involve lunging and locking
the horns, followed by the combatants twisting and pushing in an attempt
to make the other lose his balance. The markhor's alarm call resembles
the nasal "a" popularized by the common domestic goat.

Family group: Females and young live in herds of around 9 animals,
adult males are usually solitary. Diet: Grasses, leaves. Main Predators: Wolf, snow leopard, leopard, lynx, humans.

Distribution

Sparsely wooded mountainous regions in the western Himalayas at an elevation
of 600-3,600 m / 1,900-11,500 ft.

Range Map (Compiled from Shackleton, 1997)

Conservation Status

The markhor as a species is classified as endangered by the IUCN (1996).
However, each subspecies has its own ranking: both C. f. falconeri
and C. f. megaceros are endangered, while C. f. heptneri is
critically endangered.

Remarks

The name markhor is derived from the Persian mar, a snake, and
khor, eating. This is a very peculiar name, as these goats are
vegetarians. Different interpretations of the name vary from "snake-killer"
(a feat which they have been known to do) to a reference to the corkscrewing
horns, which are somewhat reminiscent of a snakes winding body.
Capra (Latin) a she-goat. Hugh Falconer (1808-1865)
was a Scottish palaentologist and botanist in India.